Assembling Voices - Incite at Columbia University

Launched in 2020, Assembling Voices is a year-long fellowship that supports activists, artists, scholars, workers, and others with ideas for public initiatives that bring people together to address community-identified issues in novel ways.

Assembling Voices acknowledges that biggest issues of our time aren’t just technical—they’re social. Ideas crafted entirely within the walls of universities risk being detached from the lives of the worlds they might transform. Outside those walls, organizers, artists, community leaders, and workers directly engage these same issues.

Through this program, fellow brings both worlds together through a process of assembly, wherein people gather to more effectively transform themselves, their communities, and the world.

During the program year, fellows receive $25,000 in income, initiative, and travel support, as well as intellectual, administrative, and professional support from Incite Institute and our vast network.

Fellows are free to conceive and execute public programming as they envision it. Past fellowship initiatives have included a home movie archive that brings awareness to life in Texas’ Boca Chica Beach, a community photography event that brought together siloed New Yorkers from all five boroughs, and an experiment in cultural programming for and by unhoused people in San Diego.

In addition, fellows come together in New York City for training, collaboration, and networking. We develop custom training each year based on the cohort's desires and needs.

Program alumni have partnered with Incite to raise an additional $700K in combined funds from organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities and Ford Foundation to continue to develop their initiatives. For example, C. Dìaz's River of Dreams, and J. Khadijah Abdurahman's Logic(s) magazine developed out of Assembling Voices initiatives.

Assembling Voices applications are currently closed.